Alex Somers’s contribution to For The Birds: The Birdsong Project is “May 18, 1929 – Lost,” an ambient composition built around a birdsong recording dated May 18, 1929. Somers describes finding an early field recording, transforming it with repeated convolution reverb, and placing a chord progression beneath the altered birdsong. The result treats recording technology as a bridge to a sound world that no longer exists in the same form.
The track is one part of a much larger Audubon collaboration involving music, poetry, visual art and performance. Understanding Somers’s method explains both the intimate scale of his piece and the project’s wider purpose: inviting attention to birds while making environmental concern feel personal and audible.
What Alex Somers made for The Birdsong Project
Somers’s work is titled “May 18, 1929 – Lost.” The date is not a release date or the year Somers composed the music. In his interview with Holly Fairall, published by the National Audubon Society on April 26, 2024, Somers says the date identifies when the birdsong recording itself was made.
That distinction matters. The source does not establish that this is definitively the oldest birdsong recording ever made. Somers says he was interested in finding the oldest birdsong field recording, and he built the piece around a recording dated May 18, 1929. His title turns that archival date into part of the listening experience: the audience hears evidence of a sound event preserved by technology, while the surrounding acoustic environment has been “lost” to time.
#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
- Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
- Aluminum Alloy Housing: Built with a sturdy aluminum alloy shell that aids in heat dissipation and protects against daily wear and scratches. Designed to maintain a stable and secure connection.
- Compact & Travel-Friendly: The ultra-compact design allows the adapter to stay plugged into your device without blocking adjacent ports or adding bulk, reducing wear and tear on your original USB ports.
- 12-Month Warranty: Backed by a 12-month manufacturer warranty for peace of mind. Designed to meet strict quality control standards for reliable everyday performance.
Rather than presenting the archival sound as a documentary specimen, Somers uses it as musical material. The birdsong remains recognizable as a living voice, but processing places it inside an expanded, atmospheric space. A harmonic progression then gives the transformed recording a musical foundation.
How Somers transformed the recording
Somers describes a compact but cumulative process. Each stage changes how the historical birdsong is perceived, moving from field documentation toward ambient composition.
1. He began with a historical field recording
The starting point was the recording dated May 18, 1929. Somers’s interest was not simply in obtaining an old sound file; he was drawn to the idea of hearing a moment preserved across nearly a century. A field recording carries more than a melody. It can contain distance, weather, surrounding habitat and the limits of the equipment used to capture it. The interview does not identify the original recordist, location, species or recording device, so those details should not be inferred from the title.
2. He made a stereo field recording
Somers says he made a stereo field recording as part of his work on the piece. Stereo capture places sound across a left-right field rather than presenting it as a single centered channel. That choice gives later processing more spatial information to work with, allowing the birdsong and its reverberant reflections to occupy a wider image.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
3. He applied convolution reverb repeatedly
Convolution reverb processes a sound through an impulse response, an acoustic fingerprint that can represent a room, hall or other resonant space. Somers says he ran the recording through convolution reverb, duplicated it and reapplied the effect. Repeating the process increased the accumulating resonance and produced overtones. He describes the result as “a little ambient environment.”
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
- Quick Data Transfers: Accelerate your productivity with rapid data transfers using a high-speed 5Gbps USB 3.0 port and two 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports.
- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
This is not the same as adding one conventional echo and leaving the source untouched. With successive passes, the boundary between the original birdsong and the created acoustic tail becomes less obvious. The technique lets a short natural sound behave like a sustained texture, while still preserving a connection to the historical source.
4. He wrote a chord progression beneath the birdsong
After shaping the sound environment, Somers wrote a chord progression underneath it. The harmony supplies movement and emotional direction without replacing the birdsong as the central reference point. In effect, the piece has two timelines: the 1929 recording embedded in the texture and the contemporary musical decisions that frame it.
- Historical source: a birdsong recording dated May 18, 1929.
- Spatial capture: Somers’s stereo field-recording approach.
- Accumulated atmosphere: duplicated layers and repeated convolution reverb, which he says generated overtones.
- Musical structure: a chord progression written beneath the processed birdsong.
That sequence is Somers’s own account in the Audubon interview. It is not an independent technical analysis of the audio session, and the source does not provide software names, plug-in settings, tempos or a track-by-track production log.
Recommended Free Tools
Why the word “Lost” belongs in the title
“Lost” points to absence rather than a claim that the recording has disappeared. The sound survives because someone captured it, but the complete situation around that sound cannot be recovered from the recording alone. The original habitat may have changed, the exact acoustic conditions are unknown, and the birds’ moment in time cannot be replayed in its physical setting.
Somers’s processing makes that idea audible. Reverb stretches the recording into a space that was not literally present in the 1929 document, while the chord progression gives it a present-day frame. The piece therefore avoids pretending that listeners are receiving an untouched window onto the past. They are hearing an archival trace interpreted through contemporary production.
Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
The date also resists vague nostalgia. Instead of saying merely that the birdsong is “old,” the title supplies a precise day. That specificity encourages listeners to imagine a particular morning or afternoon without inventing details that the source does not document.
Field recordings have been part of Somers’s practice for decades
Audubon’s profile says Somers has used field recordings in his music since he was a teenager. When he was young, he and his brother recorded sounds and experimented with them on an electronic sampler. That early practice helps explain why he treats environmental sound as compositional material rather than as background decoration.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Somers later moved to Iceland in 2005 and lived there for 12 years, collaborating with Icelandic artists including Jónsi. The same profile places him later in Los Angeles. These biographical details are useful context, but they do not establish that any particular landscape or collaborator supplied the birdsong in “May 18, 1929 – Lost.”
Somers summarizes his attraction to attentive listening in a statement quoted by Fairall: “Opening your ears up to alternate sound sources is something that I really enjoy.” In the context of this project, an “alternate sound source” can be a bird, an archival recording or the resonance created when a natural sound is processed as music.
The wider Birdsong Project in numbers and formats
For The Birds: The Birdsong Project is a large collaboration organized to celebrate birds and draw attention to environmental threats. The National Audubon Society’s 2024 profile reports more than 200 participating artists. The official project page describes five volumes, says they are available to stream and presents a limited-edition 20-LP box set.
Rank #4
- Dual Converters, Infinite Potential：Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
| Project element | What the cited Audubon material establishes |
|---|---|
| Participating artists | More than 200 artists, according to the National Audubon Society’s 2024 profile. |
| Volumes | Five volumes are listed on the official project page. |
| Box-set format | A limited-edition set containing 20 LPs. |
| Box-set contents | More than 200 tracks of original music and bird-related poetry, according to Audubon’s June 16, 2022 announcement. |
| Listening options | The project page identifies streaming as an option; it does not establish one specific service in the material cited here. |
| Royalty beneficiary | The official project page states that 100% of box-set sales royalties go to the National Audubon Society. |
The scale changes how Somers’s piece should be heard. It is not a standalone field-recording album made by one artist. It is one contribution within a multi-volume work that brings together musicians, visual artists, actors and literary figures. The box set’s more than 200 tracks include original music and bird-related poetry, so the project’s idea of birdsong extends beyond literal recordings of birds.
How to listen to Somers’s contribution
A useful first listen does not require specialist audio equipment. The aim is to separate the historical source from the layers Somers adds around it.
Listen for the source
Begin by identifying the moments when the birdsong feels most exposed. Notice its rhythm, pitch and changes in intensity before concentrating on the atmosphere. Because the original species and location are not identified in the cited material, avoid trying to assign a bird by guesswork.
Listen for the created space
On a second pass, follow the reverb tail rather than the bird itself. Repeated convolution processing can make reflections and overtones linger after the initial sound. The question is not “Where was this room?” but “How does the room-like illusion alter the age and distance of the recording?”
Listen for the harmony
Finally, attend to the chord progression beneath the texture. The harmony supplies a contemporary emotional path, while the birdsong anchors the composition to a dated document. Hearing both layers at once reveals the piece’s central tension: preservation is possible, but restoration of the original world is not.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchBest Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
The project’s official page presents streaming as a way to hear the volumes. For physical media, Audubon’s June 16, 2022 announcement describes the 20-LP edition and directs readers to independent vinyl retailers. Availability and stock are time-sensitive; confirm the current edition and retailer listing before ordering. The cited material does not verify a particular marketplace seller or a current price.
Art, conservation and the limits of what is measured
The project’s conservation purpose is explicit, but its intended effect should not be overstated. Somers says he hopes listeners will make small donations to groups such as Audubon and make more conscious choices about wildlife and the planet. He presents those actions as possibilities encouraged by the project, not as outcomes measured by a published study.
He also says, “Sometimes even thinking something sparks change.” That statement describes an artistic hope: that attention can precede behavior. A listener may begin by noticing a birdsong, then consider what habitats make such sounds possible and what could threaten them. The project does not claim that one composition produces a quantified conservation result.
The National Audubon Society is identified as the beneficiary of the box-set royalties, with the official project page stating that it receives 100% of those sales royalties. That is a description of the box-set arrangement, not evidence that every form of listening or every artist payment follows the same model.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
What the available documentation does—and does not—establish
- Established: Somers’s title is “May 18, 1929 – Lost,” and the date refers to the birdsong recording date.
- Established: He describes using stereo field recording, repeated convolution reverb and a chord progression.
- Established: Field recording has been part of his musical practice since his teenage years.
- Established: The wider project has five volumes, streaming availability and a limited-edition 20-LP box set described by Audubon.
- Not established in the cited material: that the 1929 recording is definitively the oldest birdsong recording, or details such as its species, location and original equipment.
- Not established in the cited material: an independent statistical study measuring whether the project changed donations, listening behavior or conservation outcomes.
Those boundaries make the piece more interesting, not less. “May 18, 1929 – Lost” is persuasive because it does not need a complete historical reconstruction. It takes a surviving trace, acknowledges what cannot be recovered and uses sound design to let listeners feel the distance between evidence and memory.
Why Somers’s piece is a key to the whole project
The contribution condenses the Birdsong Project’s larger idea into a single production decision. A bird recording is treated simultaneously as ecological evidence, historical artifact and musical voice. Somers does not separate those roles; he lets the archival date remain visible while transforming the sound around it.
That approach also explains why the work belongs in a project combining music with poetry, visual art and other forms. Each artist can create a different route into attention. Somers’s route begins with listening closely to a recording, then asking what technology preserves, what time removes and how an artistic transformation can renew concentration without claiming to restore the past.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →
Say something about this film